As we navigate this world of confusion and suffering, how do we live our Bodhisattva vows?
Join us for this gentle 1-day sitting and Dharma inquiry into your life as vow.
Facilitated by Seiu Hannah and Myo Ki Raizelah
Saturday, February 15, 8:00 to 4:00 pm (lunch included, but please eat breakfast before arriving)
This Month's Feature: Big Thank You to Neal Engledow for his beautiful wood pieces--what an art!
Desiree: How did you come to Zen practice?
Neal: I was born in Texas but moved to Hawaii, and later, to Guam, and even later to Fiji. In the late '60s in Honolulu I found Koko-an, Robert Aitken Roshi's temple and community and started practicing there. A few years later, after returning from university in Fiji with my bride-to-be, Aitken Roshi performed our marriage ceremony. I found Red Cedar after moving to Whatcom County and am very happy to be part of the community.
Desiree: How did you get involved in woodworking?
Neal: Well, it all started many years ago from taking a woodworking class in middle school! I have been hooked on it ever since and realized that I could make things I wanted cheaper than I could buy them. (We have many of my projects around our house from many years of building.)
After retiring around 17 years ago, I started sitting daily and got deeper into woodworking. I have a shop at our home in Blaine. While I’m there, my wife is quilting, cooking or gardening (she has many hobbies). I keep learning and growing--for instance, trying Japanese Komiko patterns (see shoji screens below) after watching YouTube videos and reading books.
Desiree: Wow! Your craftsmanship is exquisite, and we feel so fortunate that you are contributing to our Red Cedar community in such a functional--yet beautiful way!
Neal: It has been a joy to make these items for our sangha and I really look forward to contributing more to our SanSui-ji temple once it's finished. I'm working on a main altar now and will make a “river” table for Cloud Hall from some beautiful spalted maple generously donated by Bob Rose. Then perhaps a bench for our outside area and a "Free Little Library stand" for out front – a suggestion from Hannah Sullivan. Yes, I have many projects to keep me busy in the future!
Desiree: Thank you so much, Neal--we look forward to enjoying all of your lovely work as we settle into our new temple! Many bows!
Beautiful and intricate Japanese style drum stand and Shoji Screens--note the lovely Komiko patterns at the bottom of the screens...and some framed art pieces with that same Komiko pattern on right, below. Calligrapy on the three treasures piece below is by Nomon Tim.
We recently received our final approval from the city to begin our renovation! Deep bows to the Design and Build Committee for all of your hard work!
The construction began at our work party on Sunday, October 20th; we "broke ground"...with jack hammers! Around 10 diligent volunteers worked on breaking up and clearing away the old foundation and sheetrock in the Zendo--first project! Thank you all for your hard work!!
Look for regular work parties to continue making progress...without needing to run a jack hammer. This next one will be on Sunday November 17th.
Another way you can help: we're asking for sangha input into interior design choices. Can you help with flooring choices by filling out this survey? Samples of the materials will be available on Thursday evenings at BUF at the above Work Party.
We invite you to save the date for our next one-day sit on April 26th, 2025.
These popular sits are a chance for those curious about Zen to ease into the forms, ritual, and structure of sustained practice. Experienced practitioners have similarly found one-day sits to be supportive of their practice. Breakfast, lunch and instruction on the forms of Zen are provided in a less structured environment than a typical sesshin (a period of intensive silent meditation).
We are hoping to gather at Sansui-ji Mountains and Waters Temple for this event, but if the building is not yet ready, we will continue use the temporary zendo at the Bellingham Unitarian Fellowship.
More details will be announced in the new year--please check back!
Come join us in ringing in the New Year with 108 rings on the bell, a fire/purification ceremony, meditation and chanting at our temple-under-construction!
Bring forward your intentions for what to let go of in your life, and enjoy an evening with sangha in ritual and connection.
Come a little early to get settled as this popular evening of practice returns after a 5-year hiatus. Register here.
Pre-Event Prep: 4pm - Optional - to help sweep, clean and prepare Cloud Hall at Mountains and Waters Temple as our zendo for the evening. Dinner break before the ceremony.
Location: Mountains and Waters Temple (Sansui-ji), 2509 Cedarwood Drive in Bellingham.
Cancellation Warning: We expect the portion of the temple we'll be using will be safe and accessible to us on December 31st. If it isn't: cancellation of this event will be announced. If you're registered you will receive notice of any changes sent directly to you.
New Year's Eve Schedule: 7:00pm Zazen (sitting meditation) 7:30pm Kinhin 7:40pm Zazen 8:10pm New Year's Ceremony Approx 10:00pm close with snacks and tea outside around the fire
We'll also be burning any name cards from the altar of people who've died in the last years. If you have any of these from your home altar you are invited to bring them.
We hope to see you for this special evening.
Nomon Tim's dharma offerings from Samish Island Sesshin are now available in our dharma talks library.
These links will take you directly to the talks:
November 8th, 2024, talk one: Practicing With What's Here
November 9th, 2024, talk two: Practice Is Everywhere
To increase the ease and availability of dokusan (private interviews), Nomon Tim has set up a self-sign up appointments system. You can sign up for 25 minute dokusan appointments in the next two weeks at any time and accurately know when Nomon Tim is available.
Zoom dokusan appointments are currently offered:
In person dokusan is also available:
We encourage you to take advantage of the increased ease of connecting with our Guiding Teacher.
Nomon Tim's Bookings Page | Learn more about dokusan
The zendo at the Bellingham Unitarian Fellowship will be closed the following dates:
Morning Zoom practice will continue as usual those weeks with the exception of the above dates and times.
Please reach out to admin@redcedarzen.org with any questions related to scheduling or anything else.
Held during our One-Day Sit on September 21st, this wonderful ceremony acknowledged Ryushin Kate's life of practice with the transmission ceremony of Menjuhai ("Face to face, Bowing in Completion"). After a peaceful day of sitting with the theme of "opening to joy" featuring a warm and insightful talk by Seiu Hannah, Kate formally shared that she was ready to take this step. Nomon Tim formally declared “The Dharma Gate of face-to-face transmission between Buddha and Buddha, Ancestor and Ancestor, is now realized.” The ceremony culminated with a wonderful Dharma talk by Ryushin Kate. Although the ceremony is named, "completion of practice", Kate reminded us that in reality, "there is no completion--our practice continues on forever...."
We thank you, Kate, for the deep and insightful talk and for your many years of deep heart practice.
The weekly schedule at Sansui-ji Mountains and Waters Temple will include richer offerings for the sangha, with two weekly zazen and study meetings per week:
In addition, look forward to a variety of interesting programs on several Sundays of the month. Sangha members are always invited to organize programs and events themselves! We look forward to the many opportunities the new temple will afford.
Red Cedar Zen Community is a 501(c) non-profit organization.
